Re: dahlia question, now boxed plants
- Subject: Re: dahlia question, now boxed plants
- From: M* T*
- Date: Tue, 30 Jul 2002 02:16:12 -0400
Well, Donna, I'm no expert, but FWIW I think you did the right thing.
Any photosynthesizing they can do should be a plus and dry storage
is fraught with so many potential deaths from desiccation to rot. If
you keep those cannas moist, you should get foliage but maybe not
flowers...heck, I grow them for the foliage anyway. The same with
the Dahlias who store energy in those big tubers. The glads, I don't
know...they aren't true bulbs and I can't remember if they form their
flower buds in summer for the next year or not. If they do, you
might get some late flowering or you might not get any this year or
next year. I think they vary in the time needed from planting to
flower, but remember reading years ago that one should plant them in
succession up to some date I do not recall - like plant a batch every
couple weeks or so so that you have a long run in flowers through the
season. Depending on assorted factors including when you get your
first frost, this may not be too late for the last of the
"succession" plantings for bloom this year.
I used to keep glads in the ground - for many years, but don't think
in your zone I'd try it. You could, of course, to see what
happens:-) Cover with a huge pile of mulch.
Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
mtalt@hort.net
Editor: Gardening in Shade
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> From: Donna <justme@prairieinet.net>
> So dahlia and bulb experts....
>
> I inherited a bunch of bulbs-- everything from cannas, gladiolas,
> dahlia, you name it!... Four huge boxes of boxed plants! ( The
price was
> right- free!)... So what should I have done with them. This is Zone
5,
> and I planted them about 2 weeks ago when I received them. I
realize not
> a prayer in the world of ever seeing them bloom this year, but
> figured... hoped... that maybe enough of the cycle would happen and
the
> bulbs could be used next year. My thinking was, this bulb will rot
if I
> try to store it till next spring....
>
> So group.. what do you think?
>
> Donna
> Zone 5, Illinois
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